


out of my head (into your arms)

by orphan_account



Series: 8 Days of Reindeer Games [2]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Mild Smut, Party, ball/gala, beronica and jarchie friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-09
Updated: 2018-12-09
Packaged: 2019-09-14 22:22:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16921515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: the core four are home from college for the holidays. but just because they’ve been apart for months doesn’t mean feelings can just go away





	out of my head (into your arms)

**Author's Note:**

> hi again. still reading these? lol 
> 
> today’s fic has to be my second favourite one of all. I’m hoping you guys enjoy it just as much, let me know 
> 
> this one is pretty much an AU, doesn’t really have any correlation to canon. 
> 
> prompts for day 3 are ;- parties, ugly sweaters, balls/galas, office

 

 

 

_\- feels like I’m always waiting_

_I need you to come get me_

_out of my head and into your arms tonight -_

 

 

 

 

 

Betty slams the station wagon’s door hard, harder than she should.

  
“Get that look off your face Elizabeth” her mother reprimands, reaching over to adjust the shawl to cover her bare shoulders more. She steps away before her mother can touch her, letting the shawl hang loosely. She looks off away to the side, a dark scowl painted on her fair features.

  
“You would think the teenage angst would have worn off by the time she started college” her father quirks to her over Betty’s head.

  
The scowl deepens. Does she want to go down that road? She could start with how _college students_ get to make their own decisions- like their own friends. And boyfriends. But no, she’s been robbed of those rights since she was a child. It’s wet and raining in Riverdale as the family of three make their way up the steps of the town hall. They’re about to walk into one of Riverdale’s biggest annual events, The Lodge’s Christmas Ball. Betty is feeling dreary and glum as she avoids puddles in her sparkly silver heels. Her and all of her classmates are back from college for Christmas break, and there’s nothing to welcome them back to the dingy small town like a wet depressing downpour.

  
The Lodge’s annual ball is most definitely the grandest event at Riverdale anyway, it started when the New York native family moved down and brought their traditions along with them. As teenagers, it was the highlight of the winter season. Being back here is giving Betty all sorts of bad emotions she thought she could run away from, starting from that day in very late August when she and Jughead Jones broke up. _He probably won’t be here anyway_ , she knows he’s never been one for parties and his family didn’t participate at social gatherings either, _might as well enjoy it._

  
After all, the best thing about tonight is she’d finally get to reunite and confide with her best friend. Veronica Lodge.

 

 

 

 

  
x:x

 

 

 

 

Veronica is standing in the main ballroom with a glass of red wine already in her hand, at the early hour of six just as the night’s festivities were beginning. She’s staring at herself in the large portrait mirror hanging on the wall. And what stares back is more than satisfactory. Her lips are the same colour as the wine in her glass, as well as the dress that feels as though it’s been saran wrapped on her body. She doesn’t mind though, it was her who chose this dress even though her parents specifically told her not to wear it. It isn’t appropriate for a family gathering, those were their words. Exactly why she couldn’t care less.

  
“ _Mija_ , are you going to spend all night admiring yourself in the mirror?” Hiram beckons her from across the floor. He holds his hand out for her but she huffs and swats it away, rolling her eyes. “You have time to be vain later. Come on now and greet the people”

  
“I’m coming, I’m coming” she mutters.

  
The rift that happened ten months ago between her and her parents has yet to heal, back when they were seniors and Archie’s coach claimed he was spending too much time with her. “You better tell that girl goodbye” were his words the evening her parents also agreed that them being apart during college was the best idea. To be fair, Archie had started skipping practices to be with her, and that time they didn’t do their best covering their own tracks- but still.

  
Going out to college for four months, and then returning, feels like cutting open a wound that’s barely healed. Suffice to say the last few months of high school were the worst of her life, providing not so good memories to come back to. She’d been cut off from the person she loved most and confided everything in. The boy she’d spent the most amazing three years going out with.

  
Now she’s back home for Christmas, dolled up like her parents’ little caged bird again, shaking hands with adults she doesn’t care much about. That is until she sees two very familiar adults, and behind them, the face of her long time best friend.

  
“Betty!” She practically jumps to envelope the girl in a hug, their parents looking unpleasantly. “Oh my gosh, I’m so glad you’re here!”

  
“I missed you so much V” Betty is holding on tighter than usual, probably needing the comfort. She looks more polished and herself, having loosened the tight reigns held by her parents when she fled Riverdale to live on her own. “You look great, by the way. I mean you always have, but you look insanely gorgeous tonight.”

  
“College has done you wonders too, B” Veronica shoots back, letting go of her and slipping their arms into each other as they start walking inside. “Come on, get me away from my parents.”

  
“Gladly” Betty nods with a laugh. When it so happened that Veronica’s relationship with Archie ended around the same time that Betty and Jughead broke up, the two of them grew even closer than they already were. Despite being complete opposites in most aspects the two girls turned to each other for almost everything. To rant, to cry and bond at the same time, to binge eat cookie dough ice cream while reminiscing the good days of their relationships.

  
They steer towards the bar and Betty orders her own drink, impressing her raven haired friend. The two exchange pleasantries of shared glum and cheers to friendship in shitty times, catching up, raising the glass to their lips. Veronica sees Reggie and his parents coming through the front door. _Great_. Where Reggie is, Archie usually isn’t far behind. Wonderful. She can tell tonight is going to be a long one.

 

 

 

 

 

x:x

 

 

 

 

  
Being home for the holidays is great, but not when he’s spending the first night back on edge at his ex girlfriend’s family’s Christmas party. The ex girlfriend that he should have let go of but he’s still very, very much in love with. To try and ease the pain of the night he’d opted on dragging Jughead along with him, but Archie is starting to realise how wrong a decision that is when Jughead is piping up with his personal opinions every two minutes since they left the house.

  
“What if she brought her new intellect college boyfriend home for Christmas?” The beanie wearing boy takes a long, disgusted look around the extravagant party.

  
Archie gives him a shove harder than he intended to, accidentally pushing his friend more than three feet away off his footing. He doesn’t even want to _think_ about that. Even though it’s a huge possibility. Veronica and some new college guy that her parents definitely approve of. He doesn’t think she’d move on that fast but it’s not like they’re waiting for each other.

  
Both boys scramble to keep up behind Archie’s dad, minds running a mile a minute. The thought of what it would be like when he finally sees Veronica again is all consuming. Ten months, they were broken apart. Four months, no texts, no calls, not a word. Jughead might be there as Archie’s emotional support but right now realisation that The Coopers would drag Betty to this party is dawning on him in a big way.

  
Both boys got full scholarships to their colleges, Archie on football and Jughead on his brilliant grades. While being a bachelor in your freshman year is supposed to be fun, more times than not any kind of distraction would only keep reminding them of the girls they parted ways with out of their own control. The blonde one, and the dark haired one.

  
It isn’t a surprise to them that amongst all the decadence and opulence, the only thing on their minds are those girls.

  
Mr and Mrs Cooper and Mr and Mrs Lodge are at the entrance but not their daughters, it’s a perfectly awkward moment of eye contact and curious gazes which make Archie and Jughead feel guilty for no reason.

“Stop bouncing” Jughead tugs Archie’s hand as they glide past both sets of parents. “You look way too eager”

They continue laughing and clinking champagne glasses with each other as soon as the boys pass and Archie wants to admit that he _is_ practically _desperate_ to see Veronica. There’s so many things he wants to tell Veronica about college. They’re stupid and meaningless that no one would care about but her. He wants to know how the sorority she joined is going, and to compare their classes and lectures and to exchange thoughts about their coaches and new teams as he saw that she joined the cheerleading squad in a post on Instagram. But Archie also doesn’t know if Veronica is still open to sharing all those things with him, wether the months apart would make her distant, he wonders sadly.

  
His father is busy talking to Kevin Keller’s dad and their shoulders pressed together is blocking their view of the dance floor for a moment. Archie jumped, standing on his tiptoes as he sees a flash of raven hair swinging back and his heart gets caught in his throat.

 

 

 

 

 

x:x

 

 

 

 

  
The crowd parts when Veronica tips her head back and bangs her glass on the counter. Betty is telling her it’s too early to be downing shots but chuckling fondly, and _he_ walks in.

 

It takes her ten full seconds to just stare at him in frozen time. She’s glancing to Betty’s face then, belatedly realising that Betty is also looking awestruck, and only then she notices Jughead Jones is standing there too.

  
“V” Betty’s voice is breathless as she places a hand on Veronica’s. “They came”

  
Looking at him across the floor feels like worlds have changed. She’s been scared that they would change, that they’d be confusing and awkward, that this new grown up lifestyle they’ve pretending is going to come between the one best thing, the most right thing, would be changed. But now she knows it hasn’t, and still feeling exactly the same. She grins widely at him now, the life of the drinks and the party hitting her as a memory does too. The last time she and Archie said goodbye in secret. Sweetwater swimming hole where they snuck away during the summer as some kind of proper ending to their relationship. Sleeping out in the open air with a fire he made himself, after they’d went swimming and made love relentlessly. The fresh breeze on their skin, the colours of the flames catching on his hair when he was above her. Just her and her favourite person until the morning rose.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
Veronica looks more than good. Her hair is in one of those intricate buns on top of her head, with the pieces in the front falling in a soft curl. He thinks she looks like one of those socialites already, but the smile on her face when she’s looking at him says something else. His gaze inevitably travels down her body and the red dress is accentuating- well, everything. Her hips which have gotten curvier if it’s even possible, his fingers are remembering what it was like to run across it.

 

She’s not wearing leggings under her dress so he can see her bare skin making her even more real to him. With six inches on, she’s taller, when he hugs her she’s going to fit perfectly under his chin. He misses Veronica hugs.

  
“There’s my girl”

 

Jughead hitting him on the shoulder brings back some of his attention. Not too much. Veronica’s eyes had been focused on those of her blonde best friend, looking bored and unamused by the world. Until her eyes land on him.

  
They widen in a time stopping surprise and Archie knows she might not have been ready to see him. He’s practically aching to touch her. Her eyes flick over him, assessing him. Archie’s not sure if she got more gorgeous or it’s the distance between them.

  
But he’s really done waiting. He glances at his dad who’s busy talking and then at Jughead. “I’m gonna go in. Tell Betty I said hi?”

  
“Wai-wait Archie no! I never said I’m gonna talk to Betty-“

  
Archie quirks his head towards the back hallway, and Veronica is saying something to Betty before she hops off the stool too.

 

 

 

 

 

x:x

 

 

 

 

 

“V, I promise you look good” Betty says, brushing the back of her hand on Veronica’s cheek softly.

 

“I know that” she takes Betty’s hand off and holds it. “Don’t change the subject”

  
“I’m not!” Veronica raises a strong brow at her. “Ugh fine, but you really don’t have to worry about me. Archie’s gonna be waiting for you V, just go I’ll be right here.”

  
“Archie can wait” she tells her friend, but her heart is praying that he says put. “You’re gonna have to be talking to Jughead eventually. It’s been so long B, but the two of you obviously haven’t gotten over ago so that has to mean something, right?”

  
Before she can come up with another excuse Veronica kisses her on the forehead and jumps off the stool, swinging the little purse on her wrist. She looks a little pink in the face and happy suddenly, Betty notices. “Oh perfect. He’s coming here, that’s my cue. See ya Betts!”

  
“Wait Veronica no-“ but the raven haired princess is so petite and fast that she escapes before Betty can get a grip on her, and with the darkening eyes of blue that are staring at her she decides not to fight it anymore. _this is gonna be awkward_ , she whispers to herself. “Hi, Jug”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
Veronica’s heart is pounding as she steps out of the ballroom. There’s some teenage girls just coming out from the bathroom giggling together, and a man she doesn’t recognise as important looking for something in his wallet, but other than that there’s no one around as she heads toward the stairwell. _Where are you, Archie?_ She opens the heavy door to the stairwell, the sound of classical music fading when she feels fingers lace through hers. She knows immediately who’s it is. And how could she not? When this hand has caressed every part of her, and the warmth and comfort of it bursts inside her. Before she can smile in relief, or even take a look at him, he tugs on her hand and the door shuts behind her. Startled, she looks up, only to be standing in Archie’s embrace.

  
They don’t even say anything, he wraps his arms around her and she feels like coming home. Her head is _spinning_ with the smell of warm, clean Archie.

  
She’s happy. There’s no other words to describe it.

  
She’s looking up at him and after so many months without contact, fists his shirt trying to steady herself as she’s overwhelmed by all of him here.

  
Archie wants to cry when he sees her like this. He doesn’t ever want to forget how freaking amazing it is to be holding her and now it’s almost too much. Now that she’s up close, he can confirm the impossible. She’s gotten even prettier.

  
“Hi, Archiekins” she says tentatively using the old high school nickname.

  
She didn’t _mean_ for her voice to sound so weak but it does, and he has to have caught it.

  
Archie takes a deep breath and finds her hand on his back to hold it. “Hi Ronnie”

  
“Do you still love me?” He blurts out like its been the only thing on his mind the past four months.

  
_Is he stupid? How could I not still love you? When every guy that’s ever tried to ask me out only reminds me of you, like I’m still waiting for you, like I’m going to spend forever wanting you? When I still keep the shirt you gave me and the ones I wore home and never gave back? Because even when I wash them a thousand times it still smells just like you to me? I couldn’t stop even if I tried. It’s impossible._

  
She shakes her head, unable to speak as she squeezes his hand back tighter.

  
“Thank god” he responds. His hands disappear to her waist and lifts her in the air. Veronica squeals until she catches her breath and Archie rests her on the cold handrails. He thinks she’ll be mad but she’s smiling, totally absorbed by how red his hair looks against all the dark things out here. She runs her fingers through them, cards through them and just smiles even bigger. No one has hair like Archie’s.

  
“Because I still love you too” he leans forward and without a second thought kisses her. Softly, lips moulding into hers. The desolation and agony of a dark winter fades away. _Archiekins, I love you too._

  
He’s practically sucking on her lips, that’s how open their mouths are, and Veronica feels like her body is going to melt into a puddle on the floor with how lasciviously good this feels. She kisses him back just as hard, and it’s just as amazing, nipping and sucking at one another but all she can think of is wanting more. It’s Archie who breaks apart first.

  
“I’ve missed you Ronnie”

  
He only murmurs it but she hears, god she hears and a part of her tries to pretend she didn’t but she can’t. Not when she’s surrounded by his scent, his touch, taste of Archie. Sweet, playful, pure heart Archie. The way he’s touching her makes it known that there’s been nobody else. And Veronica is guilty to feel relieved.

  
“I’m in heaven right now Archie, don’t stop” she pants, smiling when he trails down to her neck. She extends her arms, threading them around his neck and pulling him into her. Is it possible someone like Archie has gotten even more muscular? His chest and arms are harder and she knows them well, for sure he’s been hitting the gym more so than usual.

  
Archie is happy to oblige, even though he does want to talk about it, but when he’s lost on the unbelievably soft texture of her lips it doesn’t matter too much. Her fingers are tracing the hard bones down his back, her fingers then gently running up and through his auburn hair. When she does that, Archie sucks in a breath.

  
They’re starting to get excited when he wraps her legs around his waist and bend forwards, putting a delicious pressure on her body that makes her breath uneven. Archie never wants to let her go- he never did want to, not when they were caught and coach told him to, not when school ended and her parents were adamant of her focusing in college. They’re meant to be together, like this in each other’s arms. Since they’re out there alone and no one’s come looking for her yet Archie can finally _touch her._ He’s almost completely ruined her lipstick, but she doesn’t care. She pushes his jacket off and he doesn’t care. The sneaky grin on her face right before she uses a fistful of his sleeve to guide his hand where she wants it is thrilling, he’s about to agree when-

  
“Shi- sorry! Sorry uh, Veronica”

  
It happens so fast when the door flies open they hurriedly break apart, Veronica landing on her heels in a painful thud.

  
“I was just going out for a cigarette, I’m-“

  
“It’s fine sir” Veronica swallows, she looks guilty as sin. Her gaze goes to Archie, with unfocused eyes. One of her father’s friends just caught them- and his expression is slowly transforming from sorry to amused. “We just uh.. we’re just gonna leave”

 

 

 

 

 

Veronica has Archie’s hand in hers when she drags him up the stairwell with freezing jelly legs and rapidly racing thoughts to the rooftop. When they reach the top it’s so cold out, she figures it’s a good excuse to lose herself in his body warmth once again. She can’t help it.

 

When he rests his forehead on hers, she can see the satisfied twinkle in his eyes. “What have you been doing these past four months?”

  
“Listening to every depressing break up song I’ve ever downloaded on a loop” she replies wittily.

  
He laughs as his hands slide down her back and rest on her ass. They’re alone, and it feels like forever since they’ve done any of this.

  
“That’s exactly what we said we wouldn’t do” he reminds her.

  
Right before leaving, in that dubious waterhole where they made the last of memories that she could remember forever, they had promised each other. To have fun, to be happy, all stupid things that both of them already knew in the moment wasn’t possible to happen. She visibly shivers when a particularly strong blow of wind comes over, but instead of putting his jacket on her Archie just wraps her in his arms instead.

  
It feels a lot better.

  
“We were always supposed to be together” she tells him stubbornly, his chin almost directly above her with the difference of height. “But the world took us apart and we- we were stupid enough to listen”

  
“Hey hey look at me” his finger is under her chin, those endless eyes, the entire galaxy and all the precious gem stones could never compete. “What happened was inevitable”

  
The only sound between them is her long, heaving sigh then. She holds it out as long as possible to keep time still, and it does. Time stands still. They’re just them, just a boy and a girl, the only ones who have enough of each other to feel all this pain. She wishes love didn’t have to hurt.

  
“But you know what else is inevitable?” She knows what he’s going to say by the way he’s smiling, and it makes her smile too. “Us.” He shrugs. “We’re inevitable. Our parents tried to keep us apart, we tried to forget about us, we tried to fight it. But _I can’t_. So what do you think about that?”

 

She never expected him to say all this, and especially not tonight. It’s almost like the music from the party might be heard from up here, or maybe it’s just all in her head. He’s right, and nothing could ever happen that would tear their love apart. She knew it from the moment they first met, and when they rocked each other’s worlds a way nobody else could. She knew when they were sixteen and there was candles and flower petals covering her entire bedroom as part of him asking her to prom. She knew it when they were too young to feel anything real, but god, it sure felt like that. Right now is another one of those few moments in life that are telling her this is real, it’s _inevitable_ and _undeniable_.

 

“I think, we didn’t come this far to not have a happy ending Archiekins” her hand braces his cheek and she lets their lips brush on each other. “So let’s forget the world”

 

An understated feeling of warmth stirs and then spurs within her when their lips crash for real, sealing together everything from before and now and making it all theirs. _We’re inevitable. It’s inevitable._ He has no idea how he got so lucky, but he’ll be damned if he lets this girl go that by chance of the universe actually ended up falling in love with him too. It becomes so intensifying that Veronica only feels a tickle of something on her cheek when she opens her eyes and right there, in the middle of their kiss at the top of the roof overlooking their small town world it had begun to snow.

  
Veronica giggles. “My Archiekins”

  
He appreciates the affection, he appreciates her, and the white specks of soft powder ice that’s begun to make sparkles in her beautiful hair.

  
“My Ronnie” he teasingly says back. “Your parents must be looking for you at the dance”

  
“Well then” she just her chin out, twirling away from him spectacularly. “You’d better escort me”

  
He stops her mid spin to kiss her one last time, this time she squeals out of surprise, and they begin to walk down the dark night into the start of the inevitable. Reaching for the door, except the door actually opens up at them, and one very familiar flash of golden hair in the arms of another gentleman. The couple breaks up and are like a deer in the headlights until they see who it is.

 

 

  
“Betty? Jughead? You guys _too_?”


End file.
